And They Called It Puppy Love
by buttlos
Summary: James doesn't like puppies, not really. But seeing the wide-eyed Corgi staring at him through the window and how it reminded him so much of his helmet-clad friend, he just had to buy it. very mild jarlos slash.


well hello there! it's been a _long_ time since i've written a jarlos fic. it's kind of funny considering that jarlos is my favorite pairing ever despite all the cargan i write (BUT I DO LOVE CARGAN A LOT TOO!1!) so yes. it's been far too long and i feel like my jarlos and writing in general is rusty, but i've gotten pretty good feedback on this, so i obviously was doing something right lol.

anyway, this is a birthday gift for a friend of mine over on tumblr since she's ~queen jarlos :^) happy birthday once again!

**warning: **none, other than the fact that i didn't check for mistakes, as usual.

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><p>James has always been impulsive. Even since before he was born, he was making rash decisions, his biggest one so far has been deciding to pop out of his mom a month early. So really, it shouldn't be that shocking when James announces that he's going to go do some window shopping and somehow comes back with a puppy. Not a cute, cuddly stuffy puppy, but a full blown, live and smelly and energetic puppy, complete with big brown eyes and a waggly tail.<p>

It's a small Corgi, no more than a month old, tops, and its head to body ratio is off slightly, so it looks a bit bobble headed, but it's cute. Really cute. That's what attracted him (or her? He forgot to ask the store clerk which gender it was and he's not about to deliberately check something like that. James Diamond is way above looking at animal junk.) to James in the first place. That and the fact that it has this cute little patch of brown fur right on its would be doggy chin and it reminded him of a certain helmeted someone and he just had to get it.

"What did you do?" Logan screeches the moment he sees the yapping ball of fuzz leap out of James' arms and across the room as soon as he enters the apartment.

James stops, raises and eyebrow as he shoots a dumbfounded look towards his friend. "Uh, bought a dog? Duh," he says, shaking his head because, hello, it's only the most obvious thing in the world that when you come home with a puppy you didn't have before, that means you bought it. "And you're supposed to be the smart one..."

"I _know_ that." The shorter of the two crosses his arms, watches James attempt to catch the ramped puppy and failing miserably. There are chairs being knocked over and cushions strewn every which way, and oh, is Mrs. Knight going to have a field day when she sees the beautiful disaster they've created. A flicker of morbid satisfaction rushes through Logan and he grins at the thought of her switching into mother mode and freaking out over the mess before his face drops and remembers the task at hand. "Why did you get a dog?"

Somewhere from behind the counter, near where all their toys are lined up against the wall, James screeches just as an equally high-pitched yip of a bark is heard, prompting James to lurch back and run away from where he was. He's quick to duck behind Logan and use his as a human shield the moment the dog comes racing up to them.

James doesn't answer right away, instead cowers behind Logan and watching the small dog with scared eyes. The puppy just sits and stares with a tilted head, acting as if it wasn't just about to totally tear James' face off a few moments ago. Logan smacks James in the chest to catch his attention and gestures at the dog, silently re-asking the question with his eyebrows raised and an expectant look.

"_Well?_"

"I don't know! I walked past the dog, I thought it was cute, and the next thing I knew, I was buying it!" The cowardly demeanor switches to an angry buzzing as he watches the dog angrily bark at James, trying to bite at his ankles. "Why doesn't it like me? I _bought _it. It should be worshiping me and begging me for treats and thanking me for giving it a home!" he leans down to shout at the dog, it growling in return.

"James..." With a shake of the head, Logan plucks the dog from the ground and cradles it gently in his arms, quieting the puppy's yammering. "You can't just make rash decisions like this, especially with a living thing. Did you even remember to get food and a collar or leash, or a cage?"

"Uh...no?"

_Of course_. Logan sighs, scratches the back of the dog's ear. "Do you know how much it costs to take care of a puppy? How much attention it needs?" The puppy snuggles up against Logan's collar, its tiny tail wagging at incredible speeds and panting in happiness at the attention. "It's a _lot_ of responsibility that I don't think you can handle, James."

James ignores everything Logan's saying because he knows all of this already, he's not an idiot. He thought of it when he was walking home and he chose not to stress it. They can always go back out later to get the rest of what they need. So he shrugs off the words, attempts to pet the dog (who is still nameless and genderless) only to get nipped at and he huffs, maturely crosses his arms across his chest and pouts. "I bought it for Carlos."

"...come again?"

"The puppy," the taller replies slowly, warily. "It's for Carlos, not me."

Logan groans and pinches the bridge of his nose to try and keep his frustrations at bay. It wasn't as bad when the puppy was just James', because he knows how James works. He knows that James would eventually regret the decision and get either bored annoyed with the dog and take it back no more than a week later. But now that it's _Carlos'_, that changes everything. Carlos is the type of person that falls in love with a puppy the moment they lock eyes, and once he discovers that it's for him, he's going to go ballistic and won't ever want to let go of the poor thing.

"James!" he starts, subconsciously whining a bit as he speaks. "What where you thinking? Why on Earth did you buy Carlos a _puppy_?"

The puppy yips again, responding to the raise in Logan's voice and starts lapping at his face, licking up his neck and around his chin and into his dimples, almost making it into Logan's mouth before he sputters and holds the dog away from him. James fights the urge to laugh at him and opts to give a snooty smirk in place.

"Sometimes Carlos and I stay up and talk and he always talks about how much he misses having a pet and I just thought I might as well." James shrugs, starts to add in, "Plus I kind of li-," but instantly cuts himself off as he watches the door to the bathroom swing open, a freshly showered Carlos emerging from the door with a towel draped over his head.

The shortest of the group almost doesn't see them, doesn't see the puppy, until he hears James squawk out a, "Hey buddy!" and he whips his head in their direction, adopting a bright smile the instant he sees James. "Hey guys! What's u-," he promptly cuts himself with a loud and harsh gasp, spotting the puppy snuggled in Logan's arms and makes a mad dash in front of it. "Is that a puppy?" Carlos is practically shaking where he stands, the corners of his eyes crinkling and eyes almost disappearing from the intensity of the smile.

"Yep! And it's all yours," James says all too happily and quickly yanks the nowsnarling puppy from Logan's grasp, ignoring the obvious discomfort of the dog and shoves it into Carlos' awaiting arms.

"Really?" James nods, causing Carlos to squeal in delight, ravishing the puppy in kisses and hugs and letting him lick all over his face in return. "Thank you, James! He's so cute – oh gosh. I love him already!" The two brunettes watch with satisfied smiles on their faces as Carlos smothers his new pet in affection, much like the way he did with his helmet when he first got it. Only this is a puppy. And a helmet didn't kiss him back or wag his tail in excitement, but it's still all the same.

"You've gotta take good care of it, Carlos," Logan says, going back into the authority figure mode and Carlos interrupts him with a firm, "It's a _he!_" which he rolls his eyes at, but continues anyway. "You have to potty train _him _and make sure he gets plenty of food, but not too much. And then there are vet appointments and he has to have a lot of attention-"

James scoffs. "I don't think that'll be a problem..."

"_My point is,_" Logan sends a glare in James' direction, which he ignores and continues to watch Carlos morph back into a little kid, the puppy turning him into putty. "You have to be responsible, okay?"

"_Okay_, Logan. I'm not a baby. I can take care of a dog!"

Logan raises his hands up in defense and decides to change the subject. "So what are you gonna name him?"

Carlos hugs the dog close, presses a kiss to his little doggy head and beams up at his friends. "I'm gonna name him James El Bandito Garcia!" And James' heart instantly starts beating heavily against his chest at that. He wasn't expecting to have the dog named after him. At all. If anything, he was sure Carlos was gonna name him Corndog or Spot or Doggy or Poo-pie. Not James, of all names. "Only I don't want to get actually James and fuzzy James mixed up, so you say his name like a French person. Like how they pronounce the "J" in Jacque!"

"Well, don't forget to go out and get supplies for him tonight." James and Carlos both nod at Logan, only half paying attention to what he's saying. "And be sure to thank James. He's the one who bought you the dog in the first place."

Suddenly, James is greeted with Carlos pressed very close in his personal space. The smile he was adorning is still on his face as he holds the puppy close to his chest. His eyes twinkle slight before he speaks, voice soft. "Thanks again, James."

He swallows hard, trying not to show how flustered he was growing and replies with, "No problem, buddy. I know how much you wanted a pet again." James forces a small chuckle and nods towards the hallway. "Now go put some shoes on so we can go to the pet store."

"Okay!" Without thinking, Carlos bounces up on his tip toes and presses a swift kiss to the corner of James' mouth before running towards their room, fuzzy James in tow. He leaves both James and Logan in shock, James holding a hand to his mouth in a very cliché manner. But he shakes off the shock quickly, shoots Logan a suggestive quip of a raised eyebrow and a grin to match, and points in the direction their friend had just dashed off in.

"_That's_ why I bought him a puppy."


End file.
